8 strokes
Jouyou kanji
Taught in 3rd grade
JLPT exam level N3

fate, command, decree, destiny, life, appoint

Kun'yomi
  • life ②lifetime ③most important thing ④paired tattoos of the "life" kanji on the upper arms of a man and woman (indicating unwavering love)
On'yomi
  • order ②life ③destiny
  • ミョウ

Main Radical

(KanXi) (Nelson)

Reading Commonality

メイ 57.2%
いのち 41.5%
ミョウ 1.2%

Character Breakdown

fate, command, decree
メイ いのち ミョウ (3rd, N3)
to assemble. to gather together
シュウ あつまる
person
ひと ニン ジン (1st, N5)
one, one radical (no.1)
イチ いっ ひと- (1st, N5)
strike, beat, kow tow
たた.く はた.く コウ (Kentei Pre-1)
mouth
くち コウ ク (1st, N4)
seal radical (no. 26)
セツ わりふ (Kentei 1)

Contained In

Common Words

life ②lifetime ③most important thing ④paired tattoos of the "life" kanji on the upper arms of a man and woman (indicating unwavering love)
order ②(software) instruction
life ②(one's) working life ③life force
mission ②task
to order ②to appoint
putting one's life on the line
More Words...

References

Unicode hex code 547D
JIS X 0208 1-44-31
Nelson, A. Classic Nelson 430
Haig, J. New Nelson Japanese-English Character Dictionary 767
Halpern, J. New Japanese-English Character Dictionary 2058
Halpern, J. Kodansha Kanji Dictionary 2553
Halpern, J. Kanji Learners Dictionary (Kodansha) 1303
Halpern, J. Kanji Learners Dictionary (Kodansha), 2nd edition (2013) 1772
Heisig, J. Remembering The Kanji 1400
Heisig, J. Remembering The Kanji, Sixth Ed. 1502
Gakken A New Dictionary of Kanji Usage 388
O'Neill, P.G. Japanese Names 671
O'Neill, P.G. Essential Kanji 387
Morohashi Daikanwajiten 3473
Henshall, K. A Guide To Remembering Japanese Characters 394
Spahn and Hadamitzky Kanji and Kana 578
Spahn and Hadamitzky Kanji and Kana (2011 edition) 587
Sakade, F. A Guide To Reading and Writing Japanese 519
Hodges & Okazaki Japanese Kanji Flashcards 411
Henshall & De Groot A Guide To Reading and Writing Japanese, 3rd ed. 416
Kask, A. Tuttle Kanji Cards 316
Crowley, D. The Kanji Way to Japanese Language Power 249
Nishiguchi & Kono Kanji in Context 997
Kodansha Kodansha Compact Kanji Guide 325
Maniette, Y. Les Kanjis dans la tete 1412
Tuttle Dictionary Descriptor Code 2a6.26
Four corner code 8062.7
De Roo Code 2844